Kim Jong-un secretly makes his first trip to meet Xin Jinping in Beijing for prearing plan to deal with South Korea's President in April and with Donald Trump in May 2018

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

VietPress USA(March 27, 2018):According to Wikipedia, Kim Jong-un (Chosŏn'gŭl: 김정은, Korean: [kim.dzɔŋ.ɯn]; born
8 January 1982, 1983 or 1984) has been the supreme leader of North
Korea since 17 December 2011. The Chairman of
the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), he is the second
child of Kim Jong-il (1941–2011) and Ko Yong-hui. He is the first North Korean
leader to have been born after the country's founding. Before taking power, Kim
was rarely seen in public, and many of the activities of Kim and his government
remain unknown. Even details such as what year he was born, and whether he
did indeed attend a Western school under a pseudonym, are difficult to confirm.

On 12 December 2013, North Korean news outlets reported that Kim
Jong-un had ordered the execution of his uncle Jang
Song-thaek due to "treachery". On 9 March 2014, Kim
was elected unopposed to the Supreme People's Assembly. He is
widely believed to have ordered the assassination of his half-brother, Kim
Jong-nam, in Malaysia in February 2017.

Today, the first time Kim Jong-un made his foreign visit to meet
China's leader Xi Jinping before he may have meeting with South Korea's
President Moon Jae-in in April 2018 and then another meeting with US President
Donald Trump in May 2018.

Relations between China and North Korea had soured as Beijing has backed tough UN sanctions to punish Pyongyang for its missile and nuclear tests.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un made his first-ever foreign trip as leader to meet China's president in Beijing, the official Xinhua news agency said Wednesday, ahead of proposed summits with Seoul and Washington that could unsettle nuclear-armed Pyongyang's sole ally.

During the visit from Sunday to Wednesday which came at the invitation of Xi Jinping, Kim held talks with the Chinese president who hosted a banquet to welcome the North Korean leader and his wife Ri Sol Ju, Xinhua said.

"I have had successful talks with General Secretary Xi Jinping on developing relations between the two parties and the two countries, our respective domestic situation, maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and other issues," Kim said at the banquet.

The North Korean leader further termed the China visit his "solemn duty". He also said that his country is committed to denuclearisation.

Relations between China and North Korea had soured as Beijing has backed tough United Nations sanctions to punish Pyongyang for its missile and nuclear tests.

Analysts had earlier suggested Beijing had been sidelined by Pyongyang's approaches to Seoul and Washington, but Kim's visit puts China firmly back at the centre of the diplomatic scrum.

"Both Comrade Chairman and I have personally experienced and witnessed the development of China-DPRK relationship," Xi said, using the initials for North Korea's official name.

"This is a strategic choice and the only right choice both sides have made based on history and reality.... This should not and will not change because of any single event at a particular time," Xi said.

COMMENTS

Kim had not met Xi since the young North Korean leader took over after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

oOo

And the following is arrival schedule of Kim Jong-un reported by
AP on Yahoo News at:

The Latest: NKorean leader's trip to China confirmed

BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on a visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to China (all times local):

8:40 a.m.

South Korea and Chinese media have confirmed that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited China.

It was Kim's first known visit to a foreign country since he took power after his father's death in late 2011.

China's official Xinhua News Agency said Wednesday that Kim made an unofficial visit to China and met with President Xi Jinping at the Chinese leader's request.

The short trip saw a North Korean train enter China on Monday but was otherwise cloaked in secrecy.

The train looked like one used by Kim's father, former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

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4:50 p.m.

The speculation over just who traveled by special train from North Korea to Beijing drew a swift reaction from Chinese censors.

Searches for the term "North Korea" were blocked Tuesday while "Kim Jong Un" turned up results from several days ago on major social media platforms, including Sina's Weibo.

China's routine censorship of sensitive subjects online can even target words and phrases with tenuous, and even unlikely, connections.

One of those blocked Tuesday was a nickname Chinese have bestowed on the North Korean leader, Kim the Third Fatty ("Jin San Pang" in Chinese). A blocked Weibo post about Kim's possible visit even shows a combination of three photos of a pig character in a fictional Chinese television series.

The arrival of a train in Beijing on Monday that looks like one used by Kim's father, former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, has triggered speculation that Kim was in Beijing.

___

4:15 p.m.

The Chinese foreign ministry says it has no information on speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited Beijing.

A ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, told reporters at a regular briefing Tuesday that she knew they were "all very curious" but that she had "no information" on whether Kim or any other North Korean official was visiting Beijing.

The arrival of a train in Beijing on Monday that looks like one used by Kim's father, former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, has triggered speculation that Kim was in Beijing.

___

3:40 p.m.

A Japanese news agency says a train believed to be used by high-level North Korean officials has left the Beijing station.

Kyodo News reported Tuesday afternoon the train had departed. The agency did not say how it knew that.

A foreign guesthouse in Beijing had heavy security overnight and escorted vehicle convoys were seen near the guesthouse. A limousine was then seen entering the train station Tuesday afternoon.

___

3 p.m.

A vehicle convoy has been seen entering the Beijing train station under heavy security amid speculation of a high-level North Korean visit.

The convoy of about a dozen cars led by a motorcycle escort traveled Tuesday afternoon in the direction of the Beijing Railway Station. A black limousine about 10 minutes later entered the train station under a heavy security presence. The station itself was closed to the public in an unusual security measure.

The activity followed the arrival Monday of a train resembling one used by North Korea's previous leader, and a foreign guesthouse in Beijing had a heavy security presence overnight. Some media have speculated that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was making a surprise visit to China.

___

1:05 p.m.

A convoy of official Chinese cars has been seen leaving the Beijing guesthouse amid speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is making his first visit to China as the North's leader.

City police and the paramilitary People's Armed Police stood guard Tuesday in the area and unidentified men in plainclothes attempted to prevent photographers from taking pictures.

Cars in the convoy were identified by yellow stickers but carried no diplomatic license plates. The guesthouse had been the favored residence of Kim Jong Un's father, North Korea's former leader Kim Jong Il, during his visits to Beijing.

The younger Kim had long been expected to make a visit to the capital of his country's most important ally and chief economic partner.

___

9:15 a.m.

South Korea says it's closely monitoring the arrival of a train in Beijing that looks like one used by North Korea's previous leader. Seoul doesn't know who's on the train, but some media speculate that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made a surprise visit to China.

South Korea's presidential office said Tuesday that it cannot immediately confirm reports that the train carried Kim on what would be his first overseas trip since taking power in 2011. The office says it also cannot confirm a report that the train carried Kim's sister.

Some see a recent diplomatic push by Kim Jong Un as an attempt to improve the country's economy. He has planned meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump.

___

10 p.m.

Japanese media reports say a special North Korean train has arrived in Beijing under unusually heavy security, suggesting a senior delegation might have been aboard.

A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Monday she was not aware of the situation and had no further comment. North Korea's state-run media had no reports of a delegation traveling to China.

Japanese television network NTV and public broadcaster NHK reported the arrival of the train and said the heavy security in the city suggested a senior official was aboard.

The reports sparked speculation that leader Kim Jong Un might have been on the train. Kim is expected to have a summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April and with U.S. President Donald Trump by May.